We have software to thank for the rise of smarter cars that come with onboard WiFi systems and the ability to respond to voice commands. But all that software increases the chances of glitches, and with those bugs come car recalls.
Jaguar Land Rover Automotive is the latest car manufacturer to have recalled a line of autos because of a software glitch, the BBC reported Monday. Over 65,000 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs being recalled because of a bug that unlocks car doors without notifying drivers, making the vehicles more prone to break-ins from thieves.
The glitch affects Range Rover and Range Rover Sport vehicles manufactured after 2013. Jaguar told the BBC that no one has been in an accident or injured because of the glitch, and that vehicle owners won’t have to pay for the fixes.
This isn’t the first time this year that Jaguar had to recall its lineup of Range Rover and Range Rover Sport vehicles.
In February, the English automaker recalled over 61,000 vehicles made between 2012 to 2015 because of a software bug that led to passenger-side airbags not deploying correctly on impact.
And it’s not just Jaguar that’s been feeling the pain of auto recalls due to faulty software.
Earlier this month, Ford recalled 432,000 automobiles because of a glitch that resulted in drivers being unable to turn off their car engines. In June, Acura had to recall roughly 48,000 vehicles because of a software bug that caused automatic car-braking systems to malfunction.
Just like how personal computers or mobile phones are subject to glitches and errors because of problems in code, so too are modern-day automobiles that are now essentially giant mobile computers.
While large automakers have had decades of experience designing and manufacturing the motors, steering wheels, tires, and other parts needed to make vehicles, it’s only been a couple of years that they have started embedding large-scale software systems on popular models.
Given how new the use of software systems in cars is in this day and age, expect to see more software glitches like the one affecting Jaguar.
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